At YHA, we’re proud to be in amongst some of the greatest forests destinations in England and Wales. Which is why we are bringing you eight forest destinations you can visit with YHA.
Sherwood Forest
Let’s start with a well known UK forest destination. Sherwood Forest, well known for its ties with the legend of Robin Hood. A week-long festival takes Sherwood Forest back to medieval times where you’ll find musicians, jesters and characters from the legends. One of the most famous forest destinations in England and Wales.
Sherwood Forest is also home to the famous Major Oak. It’s the largest oak in Britain and is supported by an array of scaffolding since Victorian times.
Stay at YHA Sherwood Forest
Forest of Dean
Another Royal Forest on our ‘forest destinations’ list and one with quite the history lesson. This ancient forest is home to over 26,000 acres of trees and has been inhabited for around 15,000 years. For us the most interesting time in its long history was the medieval period, where St Briavels Castle would become the forests administrative centre and court.
It’s known for it’s history to be a source of wood for Tudor ships, becoming a large part of the coal industry a ground for riots. St Briavels would eventually become YHA St Briavels where you can stay and even dine like a king of the times.
Stay at YHA St Briavels Castle
National Forest
Another forest on our ‘forest destinations’ list is the beautiful National Forest in Derbyshire. One of the best and most arduous ways to experience the beautiful Nationa Forest is to take the gruelling 75-mile long-distance walking trail, the National Forest Way, that leads you through both young and ancient woodland as well as quaint villages and beautiful market towns.
The nearest YHA hostel is YHA National Forest. This eco-friendly stay is an ideal break for those wanting to reduce their impact on the environment during their staycation, and is right next door to the popular Conkers visitor centre.
Stay at YHA National Forest
Dalby Forest
Sitting on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, Dalby forest forms part of the North Riding Forest Park. This small forest is home to a variety of wildlife like badgers and deer. It’s also one of England’s largest mountain biking trail centres with routes ranging from beginner to world cup levels.
Stay at YHA Dalby Forest
New Forest
Proclaimed as a Royal Forest by William the Conqueror, The New Forest is now one of the largest areas of pasture and heathland in Southern England. The New Forest is home to a large variety of species because of its large areas of lowland habitat. Some of these include heathland birds, cattle, pigs, deer and even some snakes and lizards.
Stay at YHA New Forest
Coed y Brenin
Welsh for King’s Forest, Coed y Brenin sits in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia) National park and is another popular destination for downhill mountain biking. Hiding among the 9000 acres of woodland, you’ll find almost 100 miles of man-made trails to explore ranging from novice (Green) to Severe (Black).
Stay in Eryri National Park
Lake District forests
It seems that you can’t visit the Lake District without tripping over a tree! There are four main forests in the Lake District, which means if you go by name, there are technically more forests than lakes here.
Stay in the Lake District
Fingle Woods
A magical woodland on the southern side of Teign Valley, near Dartmoor National Park, Fingle Woods is partly owned by the National Trust and Woodland Trust. There are miles of walking routes around the woodland to enjoy and it’s well worth a visit when you are in the area.
Stay at YHA Dartmoor
Padley Gorge
The Peak District is known for its wild and rolling hills and as home to some dramatic stretches of the Pennine Way, but this national park actually has some fascinating woodland walks! Padley Gorge is a wooded valley in the eastern part of the national park. It’s home to Burbage Brook, which flows through the forest and quaint wooden bridges provide a crossing over the wandering streams.
Stay at YHA Castleton Losehill Hall
We’ve listed the most iconic trees, from astonishing oaks to stand-out sycamores- here are the top famous trees in England and Wales.
Discover more about YHA.
Photo credit: Yvonne Wawro / Michael / burnstuff2003 / Kalyakan / dianamower / Chee-Onn Leong / Valerie2000 / David A / KimberleyJane / Adobe Stock
